Effect of fly ash extract on growth and development of corn and soybean seedlings

Different concentrations of aqueous extract of fly ash were prepared by soaking air dried fly ash and mixing thoroughly with an electric blender. Extracts were then applied to the seeds of corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) after being filtered through a Whatman No. 42 filter paper. Fly ash extract in the lower concentration range of 0.5 to 1.0% (W/V) had no significant effect on germination and seedling growth of each of the two crops. Higher concentrations of fly ash extracts, however, had deleterious effects on the percentage of germination, viability, number of roots, shoot and root length, fresh weight and dry weight of seedlings of both the crops. The elemental concentrations in shoot and root systems of control seedlings of corn and soybean were found to be the same, whereas in the extract treated corn and soybean seedlings, a relatively high elemental concentration was found in roots as compared to shoots.     

Irrigation Module and Sowing Date Affect Seed Cotton Yield,Quality, Productivity Indices,and Economics of Cotton in North-western India

ABSTRACT

Delayed sowing and imprecise application of irrigation water to cotton has been the major hurdle in sustaining cotton yield in north-western India. Therefore, studies were initiated to ascertain the impact of heavy or normal level of presowing irrigation (PSI), scheduling time of first postsowing irrigation (POSI) under two sowing dates (SDs) on cotton arranged in a split block design replicated thrice. PSI_h (100 mm) recorded 23.2% higher seed cotton yield over PSI_n (70 mm) owing to better yield attributes and higher stand. First POSI at 4 weeks after sowing (WAS) resulted the highest yield (3072 kg ha^?1), while one at 6 WAS (POSI₆) recorded least due to poor population and reduced yield attributes. Water productivity under POSI₆ was lesser by 29.1%, 25.2%, and 16.2% as compared to POSI₃, POSI₄, and POSI₅, respectively. April sown crop out yielded the May sown cotton crop by 939 kg ha^?1 due to better yield attributes. Nitrogen factor productivity (NFP) among SD remained higher by 23.3% for April as compared to May sowing. PSI_h exhibited better NFP over PSI_n. POSI₆ recorded least NFP by 24.4%, 28.5%, and 16.3% as compared to POSI₃, POSI₄, and POSI₅, respectively and was indicative of relatively poor utilization of N under delayed schedules. Therefore, planting in April after heavy PSI and scheduling first POSI at 4 WAS is best strategy for sustaining cotton yield and maximizing farmer profitability.     

High-resolution holocene environmental changes in the thar desert, northwestern india

Sediments from Lunkaransar dry lake in northwestern India reveal regional water table and lake level fluctuations over decades to centuries during the Holocene that are attributed to changes in the southwestern Indian monsoon rains. The lake levels were very shallow and fluctuated often in the early Holocene and then rose abruptly around 6300 carbon-14 years before the present (14C yr B.P.). The lake completely desiccated around 4800 (14)C yr B.P. The end of this 1500-year wet period coincided with a period of intense dune destabilization. The major Harrapan-Indus civilization began and flourished in this region 1000 years after desiccation of the lake during arid climate and was not synchronous with the lacustral phase.     

Soil infiltration, runoff and sediment yield from a shallow soil with varied stone cover and intensity of rain

Stones on the surface of the soil enhance infiltration and protect the soil against erosion. They are often removed in modern mechanized agriculture, with unfortunate side‐effects. We evaluated experimentally the influence of surface stones on infiltration, runoff and erosion under field conditions using a portable rainfall simulator on bare natural soil in semi‐arid tropical India, because modernization and mechanization often lead to removal of these stones in this region. Four fields with varied cover of stones from 3 to 65% were exposed to three rainfall intensities (48.5, 89.2 and 136.8 mm hour^?1). Surface stones retarded surface runoff, increased final infiltration rates, and diminished sediment concentration and soil loss. The final infiltration ranged from 26 to 83% of rainfall when the rainfall intensity was 136.8 mm hour^?1. The reduction in runoff and soil erosion and increase in infiltration were more pronounced where stones rested on the soil surface than where they were buried in the surface layer. The sediment yield increased from 2 g l^?1 for 64.7% stone cover with rainfall of 48.5 mm hour^?1 to 70 g l^?1 for 3.5% stone cover with rain falling at 136.8 mm hour^?1. The soil loss rate was less than 2 t ha^?1 hour^?1 for the field with stone cover of 64.7% even when the rainfall intensity was increased to 136.8 mm hour^?1. The effects of stones on soil loss under the varied rainfall intensities were expressed mathematically. The particles in the sediment that ran off were mostly of silt size.     

Assessment of Atmospheric Arsenic Level in Airborne Dust Particulates of an Urban City of Central India

An assessment of arsenic contamination in Raipur city (21°14′N, 18°38′E) of Chhattisgarh in the central part of India is reported here, for a monitoring period between November 1996 to June 1997, in airborne dust particulates. The concentration level of As were higher in the industrial site, followed by heavy traffic as compared to other sites. The monthly atmospheric arsenic deposition, in μg As per g of dust fall, of 6 sites are in the range of 0.100(μ0.020)–4.00(μ0.020); site no. 1 industrial area, 0.100(μ0.020)–0.320(μ0.020); site no. 2 residential area, 0.044(μ0.070)–0.337(μ0.030); site no. 3 commercial area, 0.093(μ0.068)–1.870(μ0.020); site no. 4 residential area, 0.111(μ0.020)–1.912(μ0.010); site no. 5 residential area and 0.068(μ0.040)–3.037(μ0.060); site no. 6 heavy traffic area. The total annual flux of As in the fall-out at different zones is in the range 0.033–1.12 kg km^-2 yr^-1. The month wise collection and analysis of dust fall out rate between 3.0(μ0.10)–91.3(μ1.4) mt (metric tonnes) km^-2 month^-1 were observed at all 6 sampling sites. Anthropogenic and environmental factors play important roles in the contribution of arsenic in airborne particulate matters.     

Sediment and Nutrient Losses from Field-Scale Cropland Plots Treated With Animal Manure and Inorganic Fertilizer

A field-scale plot study was conducted at Virginia Tech's Prices Fork Research Farm, to evaluate the transport of nutrients in runoff from manure and fertilizer applied at P-based agronomic rates to cropland planted to corn. Simulated rainfall events representing 2- to 10-year storms in southwest Virginia, occurring 1 and 2 days following manure and fertilizer application were used to generate runoff. Plots were treated with surface applied poultry litter, surface applied and incorporated dairy manure, incorporated inorganic fertilizer, and no fertilizer (control). Application rates were based upon agronomic phosphorus (P) requirements of corn. The concentration of total suspended solids and nutrients decreased from the first to the second simulated rainfall event; however, the edge-of-field mass loss or yield increased due to increased runoff volume. Surface application of dairy manure resulted in 25–50% lower runoff volumes and 35–60% lower total suspended solid yields when compared to surface applied poultry litter. Surface applied poultry litter produced the greatest total P and dissolved reactive P losses. Results of this study suggest that manure applied based on crop P requirements can still yield significant edge-of-field nutrient losses, if rainfall occurs soon after application.     

Biochemical studies into variation and repeatability of glutathione concentrations in bovine and bubaline semens

Repeatability (r) value of glutathione (GSH) content was estimated in semen of Tharparkar, Red Dane, their crosses, and Murrah buffalo bulls. Mean GSH values were higher in bovine bull semen as compared to mean GSH values in bubaline bull semen. The r of GSH concentration for the pooled data was 0.1278. This trait is 12.78% repeatable. GSH value in semen of bovine and bubaline bull differed insignificantly. R estimates are expressed for selection of bulls of higher fertility and semen quality.     

Energy flow through a village ecosystem with slash and burn agriculture in North-eastern India

This paper deals with the pattern of energy flow through four major sub-systems (jhum, valley, animal and domestic) of a typical Khasi village ecosystem with ‘slash and burn’ agriculture (jhum) at an elevation of 1540 m in the north-eastern hill region of India. The energetic efficiency (output:input ratio) of jhum in 5 ha of land worked out at 7·53 and that of valley cultivation on 2 ha of land at 40·14. The animal husbandry sub-system had swine husbandry as its predominant component. This had an energetic efficiency of 3·04. The village ecosystem as a whole, however, had an efficiency of 1·57. Animal husbandry formed an important link in the detritus food chain by utilising the garbage and vegetable waste of the agricultural system. The forest, apart from providing the basis for agriculture, also meets part of the fuel requirement of the village. The compost pit is a very important component in the functioning of the village ecosystem as it provides feed for secondary production and generates organic manure both of plant and animal origin, which is cycled back into agriculture. The intricate relationship existing between the production and consumption compartments of the village ecosystem has been worked out from both the economic and the energetic points of view and is discussed.